The panel titled “AI and the War of Drones. Lessons Learned from the Ukrainian Front”, chaired by Greg MELCHER, Chief Operations Officer at the Center for the Study of New Generation Warfare (USA), featured distinguished speakers including Mykhailo SAMUS, Director of the New Geopolitics Research Network and Non-resident Expert at the New Strategy Center, Phil PETERSEN, President of the Center for the Study of New Generation Warfare (USA), Race McDERMOTT, Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) Strategy & Growth Lead at Lockheed Martin, and Adam HODGES, Capture Team Leader for Europe and the Middle East, International Vertical Lift Sales & Marketing at Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

The panel examined how artificial intelligence is transforming the modern battlefield, with a focus on lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine. Russia considers AI a crucial tool for enhancing its military capabilities, optimizing decision-making, intelligence gathering, and securing the cyber kill chain. The use of drones has become a central element of its strategies, offering significant advantages in real-time situational awareness, AI-based evasion and detection, and increased system autonomy. The discussion also covered measures to neutralize Russian drones, the adoption of a layered approach to improve tracking and target identification, as well as advances in radar transmission and detection. Furthermore, the panel explored how U.S. armed forces could integrate and optimize AI in aerial operations, including the use of remotely controlled traditional aircraft to support ground forces. A key conclusion was that while these technologies are increasingly being used in combat, NATO is not yet fully prepared for this paradigm shift. Therefore, rapid adaptation to the new realities of AI-assisted warfare is essential to maintaining a strategic advantage in future conflicts.